THE family of a mother of two plans to sue a Melbourne hospital, alleging the 50-year-old started suffering a rare life-threatening condition after being given sedatives against the family's wishes.

Sunilta Prasad, who has a nervous-system disorder affecting her co-ordination and movement, was admitted to Broadmeadows Health Service last month so she could be assessed for a Department of Human Services home-care package.

But within three days of her admission in June and receiving the sedative olanzapine, her family says she has lost her independence and can no longer dress, feed or shower herself.

But the hospital denied the allegations of mismanagement and said she was receiving "the best possible care".

Her daughter Ravineetha said she feared her mother, who has cerebellar ataxia, would die in hospital. "she could still dress and shower herself, get in and out of bed before she came to hospital, and now she can’t even sit up by herself," Ms Prasad said.

"She’s traumatised, she hits herself, and is in pain every day.

"I’ve been ready to say goodbye to her because I don’t believe she can live through this."

Ms Prasad said after the family questioned doctors about their mother’s rapid decline, they were told the symptoms – including shaking, restlessness and fevers – were a result of her disease.

"I’ve seen her decline over the 15 years since she was diagnosed, but she’s never been like this," she said.

Ms Prasad said they had been given inconsistent explanations of their mother’s decline from the hospital, with a neurosurgeon admitting their mother was showing symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, a rare and life-threatening reaction to antipsychotic medication.

The family has filed a complaint with the Health Services Commissioner and has been through the hospital’s internal complaints process. A Northern Health spokeswoman said while she could not comment on the specific case there were "major inaccuracies" in the family’s claims.

Specialists had regularly updated the family about their mother’s condition.

Australian Patients Association chief executive Stephen Mason, whose organisation is supporting the Prasad family, said medical staff ignoring the advice of family members had been a common problem.

Dog Health In Relation to Liver Problems

Dog Health In Relation to Liver Problems

Because they a lovable, loyal animals, dogs are highly preferred as pets. Dogs become family members, so their health is very important. Pet owners need to keep in mind that dog health and liver problems are very closely tied together.

The liver is an important part of the digestive system, so if there is a liver problem, a dog health will be severely affected. there are many kinds of liver problems that dogs can have, including cirrhosis of the liver, toxicity, hepatitis, fibrosis, etc. but in this article, we will be discussing hepatic micro vascular dysplasia.

Hepatic micro vascular dysplasia

This is a common liver problem for dogs. with hepatic micro vascular dysplasia, there is a mixing of venous and arterial blood on a microscopic level. Another name for this condition is hepatic-portal micro vascular dysplasia. Though this condition affects all dog breeds, it seems to occur more often in terrier breeds.

As there are no symptoms that are peculiar to this condition, it is hard to diagnose with any certainty. Among the symptoms that a dog might have are seizures, central nervous system disorder symptoms and other gastro intestinal disorder symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. A bile acid response test is the first step in diagnosing the condition.

Another condition, photo systemic shunts, will also have an abnormal bile acid response. A liver biopsy then needs to be done to eliminate the possibility of photo systemic shunts so that the condition of hepatic micro vascular dyplasia can be properly diagnosed. for more info see aboutdoghealth.org/dogbreedhealth/Bull-Dog-Health.html

If diagnosed before symptoms appear, there is a good prognosis for a dog with hepatic micro vascular dysplasia. however, once symptoms begin to be seen, the only recourse is to use diet and medication to manage the condition.

Reducing the amount of protein consumed is the objective of diet therapy while the reduction of ammonia in the digestive system is accomplished with medication. So that dogs with this condition are able to excrete soft, formed stools, lactose injections are advisable.

Twice a day, injections of antibiotics are given. These may be neomycin, metranidazole or some other antibiotic. The response to the treatment will vary from one dog to another. Some dogs respond well enough to live out a normal life span, but other dogs will have a shortened life due to this condition.

Dog owners will usually take preventative measures once they are made aware of the connection between overall dog health and liver problems.

Find more Hepatitis Articles

1. Dog Food Poisoning – Common Dog Health Problems
2. Dog Liver Cancer – How to Diagnose Liver Cancer In Dogs
3. Dog Straining to Pass Feces – Dog Health Best Tips
4. Dog Behavior Problems: Stop your Dog Peeing Inside
5. Canine Viral Hepatitis – Diagnosis of Dog Diseases